


Heartbreak Warfare

by wildcatlizzie



Series: Mended Hearts [3]
Category: Actor RPF, Chris Evans (actor) - Fandom, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fights, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Nurse Life, Nurses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23039971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildcatlizzie/pseuds/wildcatlizzie
Summary: “It’s still too dangerous,” he told her, holding firm on the idea. “I don’t want you putting yourself at risk like that.”“Don’twantme?” she shrieked, fully losing control of her emotions. “Christopher, you are not the boss of me."
Relationships: Chris Evans (Actor)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Mended Hearts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590325
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Heartbreak Warfare

**Author's Note:**

> “I don't care if we don't sleep at all tonight  
> Let's just fix this whole thing now  
> I swear to God we're gonna get it right  
> If you lay your weapon down  
> Red wine and Ambien  
> You're talking shit again, it's heartbreak warfare”
> 
> \-- Heartbreak Warfare, John Mayer

_May  
13 months since Abby’s death_

Nervous energy hummed through Kaitlyn. Chris was due home any minute now. It was the first time he’d been gone for an extended period of time since they moved in together three months earlier. She had cooked, cleaned, and taken Dodger and her own dog, Maximus, on a five-mile hike in an attempt to burn off some of her extra energy. It had taken her mind off things in the moment, but now that her mind was left to wander, her nerves were starting to get the better of her. Her nerves weren’t because of his homecoming or the fact that it was the first time she’d been in his – their – home alone while he’d been away; she had something that she needed to talk to him about. 

Something big. 

Something that needed a face to face conversation rather than over the phone or Face Time.

She peeked at the roast in the oven one last time. Everything looked perfect. Now she was just waiting for him. She wiped her sweaty palms nervously on her jeans, looking around the kitchen for something to do. The hum of the garage door opening saved her from quite possibly going mad.

Dodger and Maximus both trotted toward the door at the sound of the garage door, tails wagging. Dodger whined and scratched at the door.

“Give him a minute, buddy,” Kaitlyn told him softly from where she stood at the sink snapping green beans.

Chaos erupted as soon as Chris walked through the door. His booming laugh mixed with Dodger’s whines and Maximus’s barks. Chris had crouched down to say hi but was knocked back on his butt as Dodger continued to reacquaint himself with his human. Chris continued laughing while the two dogs continued licking at his face. Kaitlyn shook her head and smiled as she put water on to boil to blanch the green beans.

“C’mon, guys,” he said, gently pushing them away and standing up. “There’s someone else I need to say hi to,” he told them, ruffling both of them behind their ears.

Chris walked over to where Kaitlyn was standing at the stove and quietly waited for her to acknowledge him.

“Chris!” she gasped, placing a hand over her heart, feigning surprise. “I had no idea you were home,” she continued to tease.

“Smart ass,” he commented, taking her hand and pulling her toward him. He brought his hands to her face before pressing his lips to hers. Kaitlyn sighed in contentment, allowing her body to melt into his as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Hi,” he whispered, his blue eyes were bright as he stared into her green ones.

“Hi yourself,” she whispered back, bringing her hands to his wrists where his hands still cupped her face. He placed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose before releasing her. “Although, I don’t know how I feel about my tongue not being the only one in your mouth in the last five minutes.”

Chris threw his head back and laughed. “Baby, I promise, yours is the only one I want in my mouth,” he told her, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her close again, and dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

Kaitlyn blushed as she turned her attention back to the stove, turning the burner on to bring the potatoes to a boil.

“Smells good,” he commented, turning back to the door to grab his forgotten suitcase. “Anything I can do to help?”

She shook her head. “Not at the moment, go get cleaned up,” she told him. “Everything will be ready in about thirty.”

Twenty minutes later, Chris came back downstairs, freshly showered and changed into sweats and a t-shirt. He found Kaitlyn standing on a stool at the stove, using the extra height for leverage to mash the potatoes by hand. He came up behind her and took the masher out of her hand. “Let me,” he told her.

“Thanks,” she replied, smiling at him and jumping off of the stool. She moved over to the other side of the counter to slice the roast.

“What’s the occasion?” he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder.

“No reason,” she replied, not looking up from where she was plating the meat for the two of them.

He hummed in response, not fully believing her. He walked over to where she was and dolloped potatoes onto both of their plates.

“I’m just happy you’re home,” she said, realizing he wasn’t buying it. She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and grabbed the plates. “Come on, let’s eat.”

\----------

After their bellies were full and the dishes had been washed and put away, the two of them sat on the couch, CNN turned on with the volume down low. Maximus and Dodger were on their respective dog beds, chewing on bully sticks contentedly.

Kaitlyn was curled up next to Chris, her legs folded under her. She turned slightly to face him, watching his profile as he took in the news. Feeling her stare, he turned and winked at her before bringing his attention back to the TV. Kaitlyn chuckled lightly before resting her elbow against the back of the couch and running her fingers through his hair. He groaned, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch before letting his head fall back against the couch.

“There is something I wanted to talk to you about,” she told him, lightly dragging her fingernails across his scalp.

He cracked one eye open to look up at her. Her brow was knit tight with anxiety as she chewed at her bottom lip. He sat up straight, both eyes open.

“That sounds serious,” he said, bringing his hand up to cradle her jaw, his thumb running along her lip until she released it from between her teeth.

“It’s nothing bad,” she clarified quickly, wringing her hands nervously. “It’s just… big.” She dropped her hands to her knees and looked up at him.

When he didn’t say anything, she decided to continue. “I’ve been offered a scholarship,” she started, covering his mouth with her hand when he went to congratulate her. “It’s not really a scholarship, per say, but it’s funding. To travel to west Africa.”

His brow furrowed in confusion, and he gently removed her hand from his mouth. “You want to go to west Africa?” he asked, trying to understand what he was missing.

Kaitlyn nodded. “Sierra Leone. I want to go as a nurse,” she explained, pulling her knees to her chest. “I want to help provide care in the villages that are being devastated by the Ebola outbreak.”

“You want to go to Sierra Leone to treat people with Ebola?”

“Why do you keep repeating everything I say?” she asked, starting to get irritated.

“Because I’m trying to process the absolute lunacy that’s coming out of your mouth,” he replied, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Kate, that’s absolutely insane,” he told her. “I don’t think you should go.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly asking for your permission, dad,” she snapped, unfolding her legs to plant her feet on the floor.

“Come on, that’s not fair,” he told her, looking up at her. 

“What’s not fair is that people are dying because they don’t have access to proper medical care,” she countered, standing up and beginning to pace.

“You’re right,” he agreed, watching her from his spot on the couch. “But you’re talking about one of the most deadly and contagious viruses ever. It’s too dangerous.”

“Los Angeles is dangerous!” she countered, her voice rising in volume and pitch. Maximus whined from his spot on his bed, picking up on his owner’s distress.

“Let’s forget about the killer virus for a moment,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. He was beginning to lose control on his own temper. “What about the militias that run rampant throughout the country? They don’t exactly take too kindly to white people, or anyone that stands in their way, for that matter.”

“It’s not like we’re going without protection from both the African and U.S. governments,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. “These people don’t deserve to be dying the way they are! Chris, we have better treatments now, and they don’t have access to it! We can help save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives!”

“It’s still too dangerous,” he told her, holding firm on the idea. “I don’t want you putting yourself at risk like that.”

“Don’t _want_ me?” she shrieked, fully losing control of her emotions. “Christopher, you are not the boss of me. I wasn’t telling you this to ask permission, I was telling you as your girlfriend, thinking that you’d be excited about the difference I would be making; about the fact that I had an opportunity to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.”

“Katie, I am beyond proud of you, and you do make a difference right here,” he told her, his voice softening in tone as he reached out to take one of her hands. “Why does it have to be you? Why can’t it be someone else?”

She scoffed and pulled her hand away, rolling her eyes. “You mean someone else like a man?”

“Jesus! No! That’s not what I said,” he snapped, the previous softness in his voice gone. He stood and paced over to the sliding glass door, looking out into the dark backyard.

“I’m unmarried with no children, I’m exactly the type of person who should go,” she argued, whirling around to face him, glaring at him through her reflection in the glass.

“Your parents, nieces, sister, do they not matter?” he asked, turning to face her and crossing his arms over his chest. “Do I not matter?”

“Of course, they do,” she replied, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You mean the world to me,” she whispered, dropping her hands to her sides in defeat.

“Then why do you needlessly want to put yourself in danger?” he asked, still trying to get her to see things from his perspective.

Kaitlyn shook her head sadly. “I’m going,” she stated, looking down at her feet before looking at him in the eyes. “I wanted you to be happy for me, but your approval is not something I need.” With that, she turned on her heel and ran up the stairs. Maximus watched her go, he looked at Chris, then picked up what was left of his bully stick and followed her up the stairs.

Chris sighed heavily, walking over and throwing himself back down on the couch. Dodger came over and rested his muzzle on Chris’s knee. Chris reached over and scratched the dog’s ears. “Not quite the first night home I had envisioned, Bubba.”

\----------

It was nearly midnight when Chris reluctantly knocked on his bedroom door. He peeked around the edge of the door. Kaitlyn looked up at him over the rims of her glasses from where she sat on the bed.

“White flag?” he offered, walking into the room.

She shrugged her shoulders without a word, rubbing lotion into her legs. When she finished, she tucked her legs under the blankets and looked at him expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching out and placing a hand on her leg through the covers. “This whole idea scares the shit out of me, Katie.”

“I appreciate that you worry about me,” she said, scooting closer to him and crossing her legs so that her feet were tucked underneath opposite thighs. “However, I’ve been taking care of myself long before you came into my life.”

“I get that,” he admitted, reaching out and running a hand up and down her arm. “But can you truly fault me for wanting to protect you?” His blue eyes bore into hers, sincerity shining through.

“No,” she replied reluctantly, not quite looking him in the eye as tears threatened to spill. “I’m not going into this blind. I know that it’s dangerous for several reasons. I’ve done my research, though. The group I’m going with has made several trips, they know what they’re doing both with regard to the militias and the virus. I’m sorry I didn’t bring this up sooner, and I’m sorry for losing my mind.”

“This is something you really want to do?” he asked, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away the tears stuck on her lashes.

“It is,” she replied, a tentative smile curving her lips.

“Then you have my support,” he told her. “I’m going to worry about you literally every moment you’re gone, and I’m never going to be convinced you’re not bleeding out of every orifice until I have visual confirmation.”

Kaitlyn laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, and bringing her lips to his. “I promise to Face Time whenever I have the chance so you can have visual confirmation.”

“Deal,” he agreed, pulling her closer. “Make up sex?” he suggested, waggling his eyebrows at her.

“Make up sex sounds like a great idea,” she agreed, her lips brushing against his own. Her laughter rang through the room as he tackled her back against the pillows.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to those of you who have taken the time to leave reviews and kudos. I am a comment whore, so, please, continue feeding my addiction. ;)
> 
> Thanks again to msred who does more hand holding than she probably realizes. <3


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